Watch our baby grow!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Okay, so I know I’ve used this post title before…but really, what else is there to say? Eli is into picking out his clothes these days, and it can be very interesting at times! Fortunately I’m often able to steer him toward an outfit that at least kind of matches. This is (one would hope) the last you’ll see of the puppy costume since it’s now packed away with the rest of Eli’s outgrown clothes…but oh, what a last showing it made!

Saturday was moving day, and boy was it eventful! First of all, we had crazy weather; snow, sleet, rain, and hail - and even a few rays of sunshine! The snow in particular made driving a pick-up truck full of furniture quite an adventure. Despite Mother Nature's attempts to foil our plans, this first wave of moving was a success. We left most of our furniture and a few other odds and ends in our house for staging purposes, and moved the rest into Ryan's parents' garage, spare bedroom, and playroom - the latter of which will serve as our own little "apartment" of sorts until Mom and Dad move into their "new" home (they're currently renovating a rental property they've owned for many years). We've settled into our little space quite well, and Eli has been very happy to find that we brought all of his toys to our "new house." The transition has been phenomenal for Eli - we are so blessed to be moving into a home in which he is already totally comfortable. This has been helped by the fact that Eli's bedroom came over as-is; we literally just picked everything up and transferred it into his new room. We'll have a busy couple of days ahead as we get our home ready to sell; we go on the market Wednesday! We appreciate your prayers for a quick sale and continued ease of transition.

Friday, March 28, 2008

As we've shared before, Eli wants to help with everything these days! It's to the point that when I'm cooking, I have to come up with a way for him to "help" prepare whatever I'm making. The other night I was making Mexican Cornbread for dinner when I received the request by which this post is titled. So, I set Eli up in his "helper chair" with a bowl, a spoon, a measuring cup of water, and some cornmeal! He had a great time "cooking" - and his ensemble (he insisted on wearing his hat and vest for the job!) made it a priceless photo op!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

As you can see, I've begun using direct quotes as post titles - they're just too great to pass up! With all the house projects we've had underway, the vaccuum has become a semi-permanent fixture in the living room, which Eli doesn't mind a bit. Our funny little man loves to help with every job (or "project" as he likes to call them), and is especially interested in the vaccuum and the broom. These pictures were taken the other day after I offered Eli the opportunity to go outside and play with his friends. His response was (as the title indicates) "E-eye vaccuum more." Let's hope this trend sticks around through his teenage years!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

This is what Eli does when we bring out the camera and tell him to say "cheese." We call it the "cheese face"...

Ryan had the opportunity a few nights ago to enjoy some amazing seats at the Sonics game with some colleagues, so Eli and I decided to have a night out as well. We went to McDonald's (before you roll your eyes and groan, they do have some healthier options now, and we certainly don't go there every day!), where Eli loves the chicken nuggets and apples - and particularly the play area! After dinner we enjoyed an ice cream together, which Eli did an amazing job of sharing! ("Bite E-eye, bite Mama" - so sweet!) As you can see, Eli thoroughly enjoyed the treat. :) Afterward it was back to the play area, where Mama followed right along with the camera. As I was trying to get Eli to smile (you're all familiar by now with his "cheese face" for photos), Eli finally decided he'd had enough and said "no cheese!" I was laughing out loud at this clever statement! And yes, I did respect his wishes and go put the camera away. :)

Monday, March 24, 2008

Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone! We hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter! We had a fun time with Eli this year; it was the first year to do an Easter basket, egg hunt, etc., and it was great for all of us. Eli was even saying "risen!" which, of course, delighted us. For those unfamiliar with the cutrom; believers in the early Christian church would greet each other by saying "He is risen!" to which the one greeted would respond, "He is risen, indeed!" It's a tradition that our church family practices during Resurrection weekend. It was so precious that Eli, too, echoed the greeting. We chose to bridge the gap between the religious and secular celebrations of the day by explaining to Eli that because Jesus loves him so much, He sends the Easter Bunny to bring Eli special treats in a basket...and boy did Eli enjoy the treats! When we got home from church, Eli went to his room to discover that the Easter Bunny had visited and left an Easter basket containing playdough, bubbles, and a wind-up hopping bunny. The bubbles were the favorite, hands down! After nap time (which ended up being nap time for Dada only, as Eli decided to skip it!), we headed to Nana and Pa's house for Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt. Since it was pouring down rain all day, Nana and Mama hid the eggs in the piano room (to become Eli's playroom in the not-too-distant future!). Eli had a great time searching for the Easter eggs, though he was quite partial to those containing "gummies" (his little gummy vitamins). He really enjoyed seeking out the plastic eggs (and it didn't hurt that Mama found some sport-themed eggs at Target this year) and discovering what treat awaited him inside. Eli also got his very own Easter Bunny from Nana and Pa - though Zoe was quite sure that it should really be for her!We then enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Nana. Eli loved the ham and, strangely enough, the salad. He even told his cousin Lucas on the phone that he was eating lettuce for dinner! Though his favorite part of the meal was definitely dessert; a bowl of fresh berries - and a fun spoon with which to eat them (and play!). It was truly a blessed day for all of us. :)

Monday, March 10, 2008

One of the most commonly heard phrases from Eli lately is "help Dada!" With all the projects Ryan has been working on around the house, Eli just has to be right alongside him - screwdriver in hand! Eli is having the time of his life "working" outside, (we've had some great weather lately, and Eli has definitely enjoyed the huge increase in the time we spend "owside") whether he's riding in the wheelbarrow,"helping" mow the lawn, or getting himself completely filthy playing in the bark.

He always makes sure to have his tools along, too - from his hammer and screwdriver to his very own chainsaw! (Yes, they're all toys!) I've known for awhile now that I married a great handyman; looks like I've got two of them now!

Eli's cameos on Emily's blog

Hello trouble!

Okay, so in reality the t-shirt isn't very appropriate for our mellow-mannered Eli, but it's still cute! Eli had a great time hanging out at Dada's track meet the other day. He likes to watch the "grirls runnin" (and no, those aren't typos!).

Favorite Photo

This picture was taken by the father of one of Ryan's basketball players back in December. Needless to say, it is currently my favorite photo! Way to melt a mommy's heart!

Ta Da!

This little boy loves his Dada, and wants to be just like him...right down to the clothes. He often chooses his clothes based on which are most like Dada's, and this day just decided to stick with Dada's own clothes!

Neigh Neigh

Eli gave all new meaning to the term "bareback riding" after his bath last night. He thought it was pretty hilarious!

Eli the tool man

Our friends down the street gave Eli this great Bob the Builder tool belt and construction hat set for Christmas. Needless to say, it's a new favorite! You rarely see him without pliers in his hand these days. :)

Christmas joy!

Eli had a great Christmas...and that smile sure made our day!

Can I color this?

Two of Eli's favorite activities: coloring and unzipping pajamas. On this particular morning while coloring and unzipping his pajamas, he became quite interested in his belly button.

I thought we cut that hair!

The above caption is actually what Ryan said when he walked in and saw our little mohawk man. Needless to say, bathtime is one of Eli's favorite times!

Whoa! Where did my hair go?

Yay, dough!

Who needs Play-Doh when you can have real pizza dough? Eli wasn't sure about the strange stuff he was given to play with during our dinner at Frankie's restaurant at first, but after awhile he got into it! Oh, and look at those long, curly locks!!

Perfect Fall Photo

I have a question!

While Eli was "reading" his book about fossils, he suddenly looked up and raised his hand, just like a student with a question! What a cutie!

Hay Ride

Our visit to Jubilee Farm included a wagon ride to their pumpkin patch. Eli's favorite part? The tractor pulling the wagon, of course!

Family fun in Moclips

We all love the beach! The four of us (you can barely see Zoe at the bottom of the pic) spent three days on the WA coast to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. It was a perfect getaway!

A boy and his bike...

Our neighbor, whose son is about to turn 4, passed on a great little trike to Eli. He absolutely loves his new wheels!

Blackberry Boy

Eli's favorite summertime snack!

Dada!

Every time Eli sees a lawn mower, he says "Dada!" This one actually belongs to our neighbors. :)